Process for the treatment of hides and skins.



G. B. M. SPIGNO.- rnoonss FOR THE TREATMENT or HIDBS AND sxms. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31,1910.

1,090,799., Patented Mar. 17,191

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G. B. M. SPIGNO. PROCESS .FDB. THE TREATMENT OF HIDES AND SKINS.

' APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 31, 1910.

1,09,799D Patented Mar. 17, 1914,

2 8HEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sr rEs rArrE tr orrron.

GIOVANNI BATTIS'I'A MARIO srIeNo, or GENo ITALY.

PROCESS THE TREATMENT OF HIDES AND SKINS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mall, 17, 1914.

Application filed August 31, 1910. Serial No. 579,847.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, GIOVANNI BATTISTA MARIO SPIGNO, manufacturer, subject of the King of Italy, residing at No. Via Monticelli, Genoa, in the Kingdom of Italy, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes for the Treatment of Hides and Skins, of: which the following is a specificahands or' belts, of any of the above men'- tioned substances. The annexed drawings show, by way of 4 example only, some devices as employed for treating the skins according to the present process and Figure l is an end view of squeezing rollers; Fig. 2, an end view of pressing rollers; Fig. 3, a pair ofconical drums; Fig. 4, a pair of grooved drums; Figs. 5 and 5, end views and elevation respectively of a pair of fluted drums; Fig. 6, a section of a rotary vat with a roller; Fig. 6, a similar view to Fig. 6 with the roller resting on the bottom; Fig. 7 shows a pair of. oppositely rotating, stretching rollers; Fig. 8, a pair of helically grooved pressing rollers; Fig. 9, another kind of helically grooved pressing rollers; Fig. 10, a roller showing means for keeping the skins stretched while stored. Fig. 11 is a section along line X -Y of Fig. 11 and lastly Fig.

11 is a plan view of Fig.'1l indicating a manner of securing the skins to the bands.

The hides or skins together with theirsupporting bands are-subjected to the several operations either before passing through the usual tanning and dyeing baths, or while they are in the baths or after passing through them.

The mode of operation is substantially as follows: The hides or skins are for instance attached by sewin clamps, to a hempdiand whose width is suflicient to receive very large skins; and attention is'given, when attaching the skins to their supports, that theskins will be put on lengthwise. The hides or skins are thereafter passed through the several usual baths,

or by using appropriate the band being preferablv wound on rotary rollers, which are wide and large enough to receive the skins supporting band.

Besides being subjected to different chemical treatments both the skins and their supporting bandsmay be subjected to the mechanical operations hereinafter set forth: On winding the-bands or belts on the roller,

they may be stretched both in the longitudinal and the'transverse directions. once the band has been wound on the roller, the latter is caused to further revolve in a vat containing the tanning, dyeing or other liquor. The tannin liquor may also be poured on the revoFving roller or forced through the hollow shaft thereof. The roller, with the band wound thereon, may also be mountedin a rotary vat, of any well known description, the axis of the roller be- When , ing brought to coincide with the axisof revo:

lution of the vat, a slot being provided in the side wall of the vatto allow of the band entering the .vat therethrough. Said slot maybe provided with a lid in order that it may be closed, even while the roller and the vat are revolving, when once the skins support-ing band-has been wound on the roller. Under such conditions the aforesaid operations may be performed with a reducedconsumption. of liquor. 4

It is not altogether necessary, though it may be advisable, to wind the skins supporting bando-n a roller, as said band may be stretched ina longitudinal, transverse or oblique direction, evenwithout being wound on a roller as'hereinbefore' described. By means-of the devices diagrammatically shown in the accompanying drawings the skins, attached to their supporting bands,

may be treated as follows: In order to squeeze out the liquor. the skinssupporting bands may be led around rollers of very small diameter in opposite directions. as shown in Fig. 1, withvariable speed under variable tension and alongpaths of opposite and considerable curvatures. Coules of pressing rollers as shown in Fig. 2,

fluted rollers may also be employed, the

bands moving in a direction perpendicular to-the axis of the rollers (Fig. 5). Said drums or rollers may be made of any appropriate material and coated, with a lining, metallic or not. The grooves or flutes may also be helically wound on the surface of the rollers or drums.

Fig. 6 refers to the case of a roller, which together with the skins supporting band, is

located inside a rotary vat. The roller has been removed from its bearing and laid down on the'bottom of the vat, along the surface of which it receives motion in contact of the liquid, solid: or gaseous reagent contained in the vat.

In order to submit the band and therefore the skins to a stress both in the longitudinal-and transverse direction, it may be passed between pairs of rollers running in opposite directions as shown in Fig. 7.

Figs. 8 and 9 show pressing rollers, whose helical grooves are symmetrical with respect to the middle plane of each roller. According to'the said helical grooves being right handed or left handed, a stretching or a pressing action, in the direction of the axis of revolution of the rollers, may be exerted on. the bands and skins.

If the'skins are fixed to a hemp belt the.

same is pressed by the aforesaid pressing rollers and the tanning liquor squeezed out by them may be recovered.-

The band or belt'may have been previously impregnated with substances (such as oil, tar and the like) which do not combine with the watery..- solutions. Moreover the bands may be passed through brushes or rollers, capable of'conveying tanning liquors thereto.

All of the above or similar operations may be performed within air tight vessels impervious'to light, into which gaseous, pulverous or liquid reagents may be introduced in finely subdivided form.

The same bands will also be availed of for conveying the skins tothe adjacent premises. When, the band, with the skins attached thereto, is wound on a roller B. (Fig. 10) the inside walls of the side disks thereof may be provided with hooks u, to which the edges of the band will have to be fastened in order to secure that a constant tension be kept up for a period of time.

bands and the skins are caused to pass may be extremely different, owing to the irregular formof the skins and hides to be treated.

Also the order in which the various rollers are to be successively employed will vary according to the circumstances.

Assoon as the skins appear to be sufficiently tanned, they are removed from the belt or band. Should this take place too soon, before the tannage is completed, the same may still he proceeded with in an ordinary rotary vat or otherwise as heretofore inuse. V

In order to render the operation more speedy, several sets of winding rollers may be provided, while a much smaller number of working rollers will prove sufficient.

Under certain circumstances it will be useful to passthe bands, as well as the skins attached thereto, through solutions or powders,

capable of-acting upon the skins or upon the tanning substance as for instance discolor- 1ng salts, gelatlns, dressing and fillingsubstances.

Instead of sewing the skins or hides on the band or "otherwise fastening the same thereto it may be advantageous to fold the skin a (Fig. 11 Fig. 11 the former figure being a section on line w y of Fig. 11 and enter the wire gauze band 6 between the adjacent faces of said skin a, and to sew the skin on the banil in the usual manner. All the. above refers not only to the tannage proper, but also to the liming, unhairing, softening and finishing processes.

The skins supporting band may consist of a mesh Web of aluminium, copper or other metals not capable of soiling the skins and the liquids which come into contact therewith. B oth the winding and the'working rollers may be covered with felt so as to pre vent the most delicate skins being spoiled-by their contact.

In some cases it will be advisable to use metal or hemp bandscapable of receiving only one skin, ,to"mount.-the same on a movable frame and submit the latter to the above mentioned operations. 'Said. operations may be carried out either in the open air or within closed receptacles of whatever size and shape, with tanning liquids of whatsoever description.

A layer of oil may be poured on top of .the liquors in the vatsthrough which the skin carryingbands are conveyed, in order to prevent the liquors from coming into contact with the air and becoming aflected by the impurities in the atmosphere.

I claimf 1. The process of treating hides and skins consistingin attaching the hides and skins -to extensible bands, and while soattached stretching said hides and skins and submitting them to tanning operations.

2. The process of treating hides which consists in attaching the hides to an extensible band and subjecting the band and the hide to flexing and stretching while undergoing tanning treatments.

3. The process of treating hides which consists in attaching the hide to an extensible band and subjecting band and hide to flexing and stre ching in a plurality of directions while traveling and undergoing tanning and dyeing treatment.

4. The process of treating hides which consists in attaching the hide to an extensible band andsubjecting the band and .the hide to repeated flexing in the form of corrugations while traveling and undergo- .ing tanning and dyeing treatments.

5. The process of treating hides which consists in attaching the hide to an extensible band and subjecting the band and the hide to repeated flexing in the form of corrugations ranging transversely of the direction of travel and to stretch said band with the hide while traveling and undergoing tanning and dyeing treatments.

6. The process of treating hides which consists in attaching the hide to an extensible band and subjecting the band and the hide to repeated flexing in the form of corrugations ranging longitudinally of the direction of travel and to stretch while traveling and undergoing tanning and dyein treatments.

The process of treating hides which consists in attaching the hide to an extensible band and subjecting the band and the hide to repeated flexing in the form of corrugations ranging longitudinally and transversely of the direction of travel and to stretch while traveling and undergoing tanning and dyeing treatments.

8. The process of treating hides which consists in attaching the hide to an exthe direction of travel andstretching while traveling and undergoing tanning and dyeing treatments.

9. The process of treating hides which consists in attachin the hide to an extensible band and su jecting the band and the hide to flexing and stretching between traveling surfaces while undergoing tanning and dyeing treatments.

10. The process of treating hides which consists in attaching the h1de to an extensible band and subjecting the band and the hide to flexing and stretching while traveling in the plane of the hide, and while the hide is subjected to theaction of tanning and dyeing liquids and maintaining the hide in its extended condition on the band while being treated.

11. The process of treating hides which consists in attaching the hlde to an extensible band and subjecting the band and the hide to flexing and stretching while traveling in the plane of the hide and while the hide'is subjected to the action of tanning and dyeing liquids; in subsequently removing said liquids from the hides by squeezing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GIOVANNI BATTISTA MARIO SPIGNO. 

